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The Rhinavarian Empire
"There is a fire growing in the east. It burns with a hunger not unlike Marn's. The Masked Empress is just the warmonger as this Horned Emperor is in the west. Marn, Rhinavar, they are the same to the likes of us. If Algathi did not take the city, surely Tarazel's warrior-women would walk the streets and keep the curfew. A war is coming, one that will bleed Vahastria and her people dry." -musings of Owaak, a desert elf of Vahastria'' 1081 A.R. A foreign empire of Crestas, the Rhinavarians have rapidly advanced from the east to swallow up the city-states of Hune, Cryshol, and Veldir. With its expansive borders reaching the eastern edges of the Talneth, a conflict between Marn and Rhinavar is likely inevitable. In the past, the Rhinavarians were a small kingdom of little importance. However, with the chance aquiring of Alfric Opher in 934 A.R., the nation had begun the workings of some of the first airships outside of Sol Uhrwerth. These crude but priceless first vessels had sky-rocketted Rhinavar's meager economy and military and within the next sixty years the nation would craft an empire large enough to threaten all of Crestas. The People of Rhinavar The original inhabitants of Rhinavar were tribal elvish clans that made by with slavery, raiding, and dark magic. When the Roldaerans first encountered these elves they described them in their annals as "backwards", "very-unelvish", and "brutal" Artificer Haerodior records one of the earliest surviving accounts of the Rhinavarians ''"...they run naked in the woods and eat the meat of the slain raw. They are more akin to animals than they are to civilized folk. Their pale skin shines like snow against their tattooed bodies and their unkempt women are just as savage as their male conpatriots. And speaking of their women, such pride in the wretches! And so many...To think the noble folk of the Hyre province Hyrondel, are of the same family is beyond my imagination. I must agree with Arbiter Khaeriak in that these "elves" of the Rhinav valley be good only for manual labor." The exact date of the discovery of the "Rhinav" people is shrouded in the blurred history of old Roldaera but it is estimated that Haerodior's account is about 1500 years old, just short of 500 years before the fall of the old empire. As of 1083 A.R., the "Rhinav" people, or more effectively known as Rhinavarian Elves by outsiders, have evolved into a industrious and powerful empire that is more-or-less still in touch with its humble but savage beginnings. Technologically, the Rhinav are on-par with the Marnish, their airship fleets and armies among the best in the known world. Culturally, however, the Rhinav are very different from the people of greater Crestas. Ruled by a matriarchy, women hold authority over men. Women also make up the majority of the Rhinav military. The Rhinav Elves have an unusually high population of females and an unusally low population of males. It is estimated that for every fifty females there is one male. This major difference in numbers has greatly influenced the society and hierarchy of the Rhinav. Males, although stronger and taller than their female counter-parts, are often kept closely guarded as a vital means of reproduction and ceremonial purposes. Not restricted from military duty, but males typically find themselves are homeguards and rarely see the front lines. Due to their homeland's position in the great eastern jungles, the traditional Rhinav garb is very minimal and free-form. Most clothing is more ceremonial and fashion-geared than it is for practical means. Nakedness is commonplace and embarressment for a lacking of coverings is next to non-existent. This tradition has made relations with more western cultures somewhat strained if not distanced. In battle however, many forms of lightweight mails and meshes are used to protect themselves, especially the males that see combat, as their survival can be paramount to a new generation of Rhinavarians. But to the western cultures of Crestas, to call the battle-gear of Rhinavarians "armor" is often a jest. Rhinavarian Conquests and Military The first major conflicts involving the Rhinav people are wars that involved only the Rhinav people. For many years the tribes fought each other in bloody feuds. The greatest of these feuds took place roughly two centuries after the fall of Roldaera and is known as the Great Kinslaying. The fighting had lasted for nearly fifty years and the results left the people utterly devestated. Foreign powers quickly jumped on the opportunity to advance on the weakened Rhinavarians and although the brave elves were able to survive, they lost many tracks of territory to the humans, dragonborn, and dwarves that contested for the nation. Around the year of 600 A.R. the country had at last unified under one banner and as an independent nation the Rhinav had established themselves as a small yet significant influence in the east. Much is unknown about the period of Rhinav during the centuries of 600-900 A.R., for the elves had maintained a strict anti-foreign presence policy. It was not until trade relations with Hune in 902 A.R. opened up that the rest of the world began to learn more about the back-water elves of the Rhinav vale. It would not be long until the flying city of Sol Uhrwerth would at last make contact with the Rhinavarians and by chance, the elves had managed to sneak into their borders one of the earliest aeroneers, Alfric Opher. And from there the elves rapidly engulfed their neighbors in bloodshed and empire.